How Surfing Can Transform Your Career (And Your Life)

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Transformative Travel: I look at how travel can change lives.

Riding the waves with Unleash Surf, a new kind of remote work concept.Photo courtesy of Jonathan Slather

Unleash Surf is the world’s first digital nomad travel company for entrepreneurs who surf.

"When we hatched the idea, we were digital nomads in Peru, surfing every day and living a more relaxed lifestyle,” explains cofounder Amy Schwartz, who created the company with her partner, John Furness. Schwartz had heard of companies that help remote workers travel the world, but none that cater specifically to surfers with barefoot living in off-the-beaten-path locations, a variety of waves, private apartments and reliable internet 24-7.

So they launched a remote working concept in Peru in early 2018, and the results have been more impressive thanthe founders ever expected. "We didn’t set out with a cliche goal of changing lives — we just wanted Unleash to open our clients to the practical possibility of taking their work remote while surfing and experiencing a new place," says Schwartz. "Many of our clients have reshaped their jobs, their priorities and their lives."

We caught up with Schwartz and Furnessto find out how Unleash Surf is catering to a group of digital nomads who take their work seriously but want more time to embrace slow travel. And we found out their tips for starting and running a business.

Amy Schwartz: Launching Unleash was a BIG leap for us. I left a comfortable government job, with long-term security and benefits, in sustainable energy to pursue this dream. I know a lot of people thought I was crazy to leave something so stable to start a surf business, but I’ve traveled my whole life. I’ve run adventure companies and guided outdoor travel experiences since I was a teenager. Unleash was an idea that brought together all of my passions and skills — so I couldn’t ignore it for very long. And John has technical know-how in all the areas I lack — like setting up no-fail internet, figuring out swell forecasts and dealing with all things technology. With our combined skills there was no good reason not to create Unleash.

Begley Bloom:What inspired you to create Unleash Surf?

John Furness:I created my business so I could work remotely and travel, but like many small business owners with that dream, my mortgage and lifestyle closed in on me and I forgot that I could make that leap if I wanted to. For years Amy and I had planned on taking a few months to live and surf somewhere warm, where the internet was good enough for me to run my business. Three years ago we decided to escape the winter, so we bought plane tickets to Peru — where Amy had done her masters studies — and rented an apartment in a small, wave-rich town. I converted the extra bedroom into an office, upgraded the internet and we spent our days living the lifestyle we’d dreamed of: surfing as often as we wanted, getting our work done, no commuting, exploring Peru and going on adventures to places like Machu Picchu and Lobitos. We ate fresh healthy foods, made friends and we built a community in a new place. We realized how happy, healthy and productive we were on that trip and wondered how we could create a business that offered other people a similar experience, without quitting their job.

One evening, watching the sunset on the beach and chowing down on a giant piece of meringue pie, the concept of Unleash dawned on us. We could set up a cowork space, rent the best apartments in town, organize surf coaching and arrange Spanish lessons, cooking classes and a variety of tours and cultural experiences with the amazing people we knew there.

Also, we were gearing up to have a baby — and we agreed we wanted that child to be raised by parents who were as happy, loving and healthy as we were when we were working remotely from a surfside town.

On Unleash Surf's coworking patio.Photo courtesy of Catherine Bernier

Begley Bloom:How does Unleash Surf work? Tell me about the business model.

Schwartz: People who come on Unleash are generally successful entrepreneurs, freelancers or people who work for cool companies that encourage remote work. Or they’re taking time to cultivate new ideas. Our groups are small, with 8-10 people from all over the world.People who come on Unleash aren’t necessarily beginner remote-workers, though: Many are experienced digital nomads or remote workers who are a bit further along in their careers and don’t have the time or energy to do all the legwork. With Unleash, they just have to show up, surf, get their work done and enjoy the amazing place we’re in.

Our clients come for two weeks, one month and up to three months. We ensure that when they get off the plane, they don’t miss a beat in terms of feeling at home. John and I personally take them to their fully-equipped apartment, then on a walking tour of the surf spots, markets, restaurants, juice stands and surf shops. We introduce them to our friends and make sure they have everything they need to get to work or to get in the water as soon as they need.

Sampling local foods.Photo courtesy of Catherine Bernier

Begley Bloom:Hassurfingcontributed to your own career success in any way?

Schwartz: I would say that surfing has contributed to my ability to succeed at life more than anything else! My passion for surfing has helped me keep a grounded perspective on what is most important to me. Although I have always had lofty career goals, having the time to surf and live oceanside is paramount in any decision I make. It gives me a work-life balance imperative, without which I wouldn’t be as mentally or physically healthy as I am.

One of the best things about surfing is that it’s an incredibly efficient way to destress from a tough day at work. When you connect with nature and singularly focus your mind on riding down the line, all while getting intense physical exercise, you can’t help but decompress and be refreshed.

Any surfer knows what it is to work incredibly hard. Surfing requires astounding determination to learn and get good at it. This tenacity translates to other facets of life, like starting a company or keeping on top of a fast-paced job, which is why I think surfers make the best entrepreneurs and executives.

I think that is why we have such amazing clients. They’re all exceptionally determined people who are highly successful in their careers. Many of them have recently got hooked on surfing during a lesson or week-long surf camp, but have realized that they need to apply more time and effort to get good at it. They take their time on Unleash seriously, scheduling in lessons around their work days and getting in the water at every opportunity.

Getting ready to surf.Photo courtesy of Jonathan Slather

Begley Bloom:How does travel inspire you as an entrepreneur?

Schwartz:I tend to live more fully when I get out of my routine and see the world from a new perspective. I recently came across some research that shows that when you’re traveling "slowly" — tasting new foods, hearing different languages and in a different routine — you can connect neurons in your brain that improve your creativity, adaptability and productivity. I think seeing things in a new way is really important for everyone from time to time.

Furness:I think it’s important for practical reasons. I’m able to focus more on my work and be more productive when I work remotely in a different country than when I’m working from my home office. I get more quality time to think about my business and I feel less stressed about squeezing in the things I want to do around my work day, like surfing and mountain biking.And getting work done in a surf destination has the opposite outcome to what you would expect: It’s actually easier to be productive because there are fewer distractions. I don’t have the same kind of social, family and house-to-maintain obligations. And I don’t have to commute for ages to get to work. Commute time becomes surfing time. So I surf way more, and I have more time for myself and for us as a couple and family.

Begley Bloom:Do you have any success stories that you can share from your first year of business?

Schwartz:One participant from last year shared that her experience was a game changer for her businesses and that it made it very clear to her what kind of work she wanted to pour her heart and soul into, and what kind of work made her miserable. She redefined her company mission and never looked back. A creative strategist from London on our last trip is now working with another former Unleash Surf participant on the brand translation of his global apparel company.

For 2019, we have a bunch of powerhouse women signed up already. For example, one just sold her very successful restaurant and will be working on a business plan for her next project. Another is a management consultant who specializes in improv and another is the marketing and sustainability director for a Canadian apparel company.

Begley Bloom: What's in store for 2019?

Schwartz:We’ve got a roster of fascinating workshops lined up, including learning to build acaballito de tortora — the world’s first surf craft — with a local fisherman and learning to ride it. We’ll be taking people to Peru’s second largest produce market with a chef and then doing a cooking class with them. Taking people to the hole-in-the-wall restaurant, where they make a mouth-watering pecan-sauce fish unlike anything I’ve ever tasted. And, of course, having sunset beers with the group on our cowork space balcony and doing dance classes in traditional Peruvianmarinera, which has some similarities to flamenco.

Watching the sunset in Peru from the top of Unleash Surf's coworking space.Photo courtesy of Catherine Bernier

Begley Bloom: What's the best advice anyone's ever given you?

Schwartz:Figure out your exit strategy before you start. It sounds a bit crazy, but it makes you build a business or organization so that it is sustainable and can stand on its own two feet without you. It also teaches you to know when it is time to bow out and leave it to someone else’s fresh set of skills. We’re nowhere near that stage of Unleash, but with this principle in the back of my mind, we’re building Unleash Surf to last and flourish.

Begley Bloom:Worst advice?

Schwartz:I think the weirdest advice we’ve gotten is, “Build Unleash Surf to be scalable!” I find that attitude surprising, especially because I feel like we need to focus on making a product that people love. I see many startups dream of a huge scale and start building to that scale too early on — instead of focusing on and perfecting the core offering first and ensuring it is something that can actually sell. Yes, it is important to dream big, but not being grounded in reality and having a tangible, sellable productis the demise of many small businesses and startups that have been pushed to dream huge and build big right out of the gate.

We also want to build a business that, first and foremost, supports our lifestyle and values. At the moment, whether or not we can grow it into a giant company seems irrelevant to our current goals. If a big scalable company fits our lifestyle goals in a few years, maybe that will be something we will want to achieve, but maybe not.

Ask yourself the tough questions. If I am hesitating on taking a leap to doing something that makes me nervous, like traveling or starting a business, I ask myself two questions: “Will I regret not doing this at this point in my life?” and “What could happen in the next six months to 30 years that would make me wish I had taken this time for myself when I could have?” These make me realize it is scarier to not take the big step because I’m reminded that the things I really want to experience in my life need to take priority. You never know when it is going to be too late.

Don’t over-travel if you’re trying to work remotely. Rather than trying to rack up the numbers of countries we’ve visited, my partner and I stay longer in the places we visit and settle into a daily routine that enables us to get work done. We maintain our productivity, have meaningful experiences, live like locals and fit in a few tourist experiences on the evenings and weekends.

Be smart and plan carefully. Make the big step to working remotely while traveling feel less daunting by ensuringthe fundamentals you need will be available in your desired destination. We’ve shirked on the pre-planning before and not checked out the internet in a surf destination and ended up in situations of dropped calls during important meetings, frantically busting it to another town to try to find a cafe or somewhere I could rely on the internet. That looks super-unprofessional to clients. It’s experiences like that which prompted us to create Unleash — so that remote-working surfers never have to worry about that kind of thing happening.

Always ensure that your brand looks good.Great photography, a clear website and nice-looking branding helps your clients see you as trustworthy. Being consistent on social media iskey to this. We use planning tools and arrange posts so that they look coherent and professional.

Make sure to get personal. As a new business, without testimonials of previous clients, you have to sell yourself as central to selling the product. That means making your personal lives a bit more public than the average business. We put our very personal story on the website of the tragedy that ultimately triggered us to start Unleash Surf, which was uncomfortable but honest. That open-hearted sharing really drew like-minded people to our product.

Don’t be afraid to be yourself. At first, we worked hard to carefully craft a sales funnel that we thought would draw in our type of clients. In moments of new-mom exhaustion, I made some social media posts that dropped all our intentional marketing design, and simply expressed what I loved about traveling, working remotely and surfing. The response was overwhelming and clear; people want to align with a brand that is down-to-earth and genuine to who you are.

Always bring back-up. Even in spots that test solid for internet, there is always the possibility that the connection will have an unpredictably bad day. You can avoid that frustration by investing in a back-up system of USB internet sticks or tethering to your cell phone. USB internet sticks are available from local cell-service providers. This also gives you the freedom to make spontaneous surf trips to more remote locations. This is a reliable and affordable option in Europe, but if you are traveling anywhere else check to see if data plans from local companies are available for non-residents and determine if the costs are reasonable for the amount of data you’ll likely need.

Manage risk. Making the leap to work remotely and live in a new place can seem daunting, as it can take weeks to figure out an apartment, where to work, where to eat, get coffee, make friends and where to surf. Unleash Surf is set up to take care of all these details so that you can be productive and relax in your spare time. And you’ll learn how to set up a remote-working and travel situation in case you want to do it yourself the next time.

Start with your core offering and perfect it.We have such big dreams for Unleash. We needed to focus and get the model right at the start because you can’t do everything and be everywhere you dream of in your first year.

I’m a travel and lifestyle authority and a content strategist who works with brands to create powerful storytelling, build audiences and drive profitability. In this column, "Transformative Travel," I look at how travel can change women's lives. I profile the doers and the ...